- Date
- April 20, 2008, 09:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Rifle, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7417WPiper PA-28-180
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- FAA report
- 20080420831789A
- Case key
- 67917
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane on landing. A factor was the crosswind and wind gusts.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The 52-year-old private pilot was attempting to land his single-engine, low-wing airplane on Runway 26 with a crosswind. While on final approach, at a speed of 90 mph, he encountered wind shear, which resulted in a sudden loss of airspeed. The airplane then made a slight bounce on the runway, before another gust of wind picked up the left wing and blew the airplane off the runway into the dirt. Subsequently, the right wing contacted the ground resulting in substantial damage. The propeller and the nose gear were also damaged. The wind at the time was reported from 220 degrees at 19 knots gusting to 33 knots.
Factual narrative
The 52-year-old private pilot was attempting to land his single-engine, low-wing airplane on Runway 26 with a crosswind. While on final approach, at a speed of 90 mph, he encountered wind shear, which resulted in a sudden loss of airspeed. The airplane then made a slight bounce on the runway, before another gust of wind picked up the left wing and blew the airplane off the runway into the dirt. Subsequently, the right wing contacted the ground resulting in substantial damage. The propeller and the nose gear were also damaged. The wind at the time was reported from 220 degrees at 19 knots gusting to 33 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7417W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-1305
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-H3A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jack J. Davis DDS
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 7V2 · Paonia, CO
- Destination
- RIF · Rifle, CO
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 491 total · 400 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.